About SKOPE

A World-Renowned Company

SKOPE Refrigeration is a New Zealand based, family owned company with a global reputation for designing and manufacturing premium commercial refrigeration solutions. We're proud of our family heritage, which began more than 50 years ago with company founder Sir Robert Stewart.

At the age of 25, Sir Robert purchased Christchurch-based Robat Avon Industries, which he rebranded to SKOPE Enterprises. It was from here that he went on to build the country’s leading heating company, quickly expanding the business into commercial refrigeration too. In 2012, SKOPE exited the heating market in order to solely focus on commercial refrigeration.

In its early years, SKOPE operated from one small factory with 25 staff in the Christchurch suburb of Addington. Today, we occupy the same site but have expanded to more than 300 staff and established a research, design and production plant that takes up the whole block.

In 2014, Sir Robert Stewart was made a knight companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to manufacturing and the community. The same year he wrote his account of starting SKOPE, manufacturing, exporting and holding on to the family business is his memoir, Determined to Win.

SKOPE is a family owned company with a difference, with Managing Director Guy Stewart answering to a board of highly experienced advisors, including Sir Robert and Lady Barbara Stewart. This provides us with all the corporate disciplines of a public company.

At SKOPE, we know how important it is to look after our customers, just as one nurtures family. When you work with us, we consider you a part of our extended family and look forward to a relationship that will develop into the future.

Take a Virtual Tour of the SKOPE Factory

Take this opportunity to see the workings of the SKOPE Factory based in Christchurch, New Zealand. This will be your chance to see a rare glimpse of the manufacturing processes behind the refrigeration brand of choice and market leader in the industry.

SKOPE Factory Tour

Community

While SKOPE now operates on a global level, we remain committed to supporting the local Canterbury community. We're big supporters of the Christchurch City Mission and each year at Christmas our staff fundraise for this cause, with some also donating their Christmas hams to the Mission. At Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Orana Park, we have donated heaters to the primate enclosures, ensuring our furry friends are kept warm over the colder months in Christchurch. We also sponsor many of our own staff sports teams, including indoor cricket, touch rugby and mountain biking.

The SKOPE Classic, an annual classic car event held in Christchurch, and our support of the Canterbury Tactix Netball team, are our largest sponsorship programmes.